Switch



May 29, 1956 D. P. CLAYTON ET AL 2,748,207

SWITCH .Lled May 13, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2.7 24 11/4 if 4% if 47 I4 7 [I 1 NORM-AL nmvme mow/fies mam TUFIN BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT STOP RIGHT FRONTAND RIGHT REAR LEFT FRONT AND LEFT REAR LIGHTS OPEHABLE FOB STOP LIGHT FLASHING- STOP LIGHT FLASHING.

STEADY ILLUMINATION WHEN LEFT HEAR LIGHT OPEFIABLE RIGHT BEAR LIGHTOPERABLE SWI IS CLOSED FOR STEADY ILLUMINATION FOR STEAIJY ILLUMINATION WHEN SW1 IS CLOSED 0 WHEN SWI IS CLOSED y 1956 D. F. CLAYTON ET AL 2,748,207

SWITCH Filed May 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS DA YID I? [M Y70/Y y Gf0l96 w. o/vnszw 411M 9% $7M United 2,748,237 Patented May 23, 1956 1 2,748,207 SWITCH David P. Clayton and George W. Onksen, Anderson, Int l., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May 13, 1952, Serial No. 287,474 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-16) This invention relates to improvements in electric switches and more particularly to switches for use with direction indicating signal systems for automobiles or the like.

In switches of the type set forth there are two rows of stationary contacts or terminals of at least three each. The center contact of the first row is connected with a current source through a stop switch which is actuated to a closed position when the brakes are applied and the end contacts of the first row are connected respectively with the right and left rear stop light lamps. The center contact of the second row of stationary contacts is also connected with the current source and the end stationary contacts are connected respectively with the right and left front turn signal lamps. The switch provides four movable contacts or bridging members, two for each row, which are simultaneously actuated.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to provide a single bridging member for a row of contacts that had spaced contact bosses which were supposed to engage the three contacts in the row when in its medial position and two contacts when in either end or side position. One of the greatest difliculties in this type bridging member is due to inaccuracies that invariably creep into that manufacture of these bridging members, especially when they include three contact bosses thereon. These bridging members may be slightly warped when formed. When the bridging member is warped in a concave-convex formation the bridging member will teeter on center boss so that one of the end bosses will not engage an end terminal or the center boss may be out of the plane of the two end bosses so that the center boss will not make contact with a terminal. Thus, the bridging members, even though they are manipulated to the desired positions one of the contact bosses may not engage the stationary contact or terminals.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a turn signal switch with two separate bridging members arranged side-by-side for at least three stationary contacts arranged in a row so as to insure positive contact engagement between the two bridging members and the three stationary contacts when in a normal position and to insure positive contact between the one of the bridging members and two of the stationary contacts when the switch is actuated to an end position.

Among other objects of the invention are, to provide a switch which operates smoothly at all times, which is dependable in operation, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and in which all of the bridging members make positive contact with the stationary contacts at all times.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a wiring diagram of a directional signal and stop light system including the switch of the present invention and showing the switch in its neutral position.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the system under different operating conditions.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a switch shown on an enlarged scale, included in the system shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the switch of Fig. 4 with the closure for the switch, carrying the stationary contacts, removed.

Fig. 6 is a side View of the switch.

Fig. 7 is a plan view in the direction of arrow 7 in Fig. 6, showing the switch housing.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the carrier.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 99 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, 2O designates a switch case or housing which is arcuate in shape. The case is provided with apertured ears 21 to facilitate mounting of the case upon a suitable support. The case 20 shown in Fig. 4 is closed by a nonconducting closure or back plate 22 which insulatingly supports terminal members 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 23 which serve as terminals or stationary contacts, said terminal members may be attached to the cover in a manner shown in Fig. 11. The cover 22, which closes the case 20, has notches 30 for receiving tangs 31 extending from side Walls of the case, said tangs being bent over outer face of the cover as at 32.

The movable parts of the switch include a movable nonconducting carrier or body 33, two bridging members 51 and 53, two bridging members 69 and 62 and actuator or finger 36. The carrier is moved in an arcuate path between the side walls 37 and 38 of the case 20 by the finger 36. In order to move the carrier back and forth, the carrier is provided with an opening 39 into which the finger 36 projects. This finger is operatively connected with the carrier by having the finger projecting through an arcuate slot 40, Fig. 7, in the bottom wall 41 of the case 2i) and into the opening 39. The finger or actuator 36 is carried by a ring plate, not shown. This ring plate is adapted to be mounted within a suitable housing for rotation coaxially thereof. The housing which encloses the ring plate is adapted to be mounted upon a stationary column post of an automobile and to be located under the steering wheel so that a handle attached to the ring plate is readily accessible to an operator.

Referring to Fig. 8, the carrier 33 is provided with openings or recesses 45, 46 and 47 in a first row and a notch 48 and an opening 49 at opposite ends of the carrier and arranged in a second row. The openings 45 and 46 each receive one of the tangs 56 with which the movable contact 51 is provided and the openings 46 and 47 each receive one of the tangs 54 with which the other movable contact 53 is provided. The contacts 51 and 53 are each provided with a pair of spaced raised fiat contact portions or surfaces 54. The carrier 33 is provided with pockets or recesses 55 each for receiving a spring 56 bearing at one end against the bottom wall of the recess and at the other end against a fiat portion between the flat contact portions 54. The springs 56 serve to press yield ingly the contacts 51 and 53 toward the nonconducting cover and to press the carrier against the bottom wall 41 or" switch case 20. Thus the springs 56 assist in making good electrical contact between the contact portions 54 and the fiat surfaces of the terminals 23, 24 and 25. This feature of the present invention is specially desirable as this novel arrangement and construction of the contacts solves the bridging engagement between the bridging members 51 and 53 with the stationary contacts 23, 24 and 25 by assuring positive engagement between movable contacts and the stationary contacts intended to be engaged in all positions of the switch mechanism. Further the present arrangement of the two U-shaped contacts permits wider spacing to the stationary contact to prevent shorts.

Referring to Figs. and 11 the notch 48 and opening 49 at left end of the carrier receives tangs 63 of contact 6% and the right notch 48 and the opening at the right end of the carrier receives tangs 63 of contact 62. The contacts 6t) and 62 are similar in formation. The contact 60 is formed with raised flat contact portions 64, 65 and 66, and contacts as with raised portions 64a, 65a and 66a. The flat contact portions 64, 65 and 66 of contact 6i! are adapted to engage terminals 26, 27 and 23, respectively when the switch is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, while the contact portions 64a, 65a, and 66a of contact 62 are adapted to engage terminals 27, 28 and 25 respectively, when the switch is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3. Between the carrier and the flat contact portions of the contacts 6% and 62 is located a spring 56 as shown in Fig. 11. The movable contacts are arranged on the carrier so that flat contact portions of the contacts 60 and 62 will make a tripod or three point contact respeeti'vely with terminal members 23, 26 and 27 and the contacts 25, 27 and 23.

Referring to Fig. 1, when the switch is in this position the movable contacts 6% and 62 do not make contact with any stationary terminals but the movable contacts 51 and 53 engage the contacts 23, 24 and 25. The contact 51 engages stationary terminals 23 and 24 while movable contact 53 engages stationary terminals 24 and 25'. Then, when the stop light switch SW1 is closed current will flow from the battery to a left rear lamp 71 and to a right rear lamp 72 to indicate that the brakes are being applied.

When the turn signal lever, not shown, is turned in a clockwise direction the finger 36 will move the carrier 33 to shift the contacts 51, 53, 6% and 62 to the position shown in Fig. 2 to indicate a right turn. When in this position current will flow from the battery 70 through flasher 80, lead 73, terminal 27, bridging contact 60, terminals 23 and 26 causing rear right stop light 72 and a right front signal lamp 75 to burn. When switch SW1 is closed current will also flow from battery 70, SW1, lead 74, terminal 24, contact Sit, and terminal 25 and causing left stop light 71 to burn.

The flasher, designated by numeral 80, may be of any suitable type, for example it may be one which includes a hinged blade, a hot wire attached to the blade, a resistor, and a pair of normally separated contacts, one of the contacts being carried by the hinged blade. When current is flowing through the flasher 80 the hot wire expands to permit closing of the normally separated contacts, thereby short-circuiting the resistor and the hot wire. As the temperature of the hot wire decreases it contracts to separate the cont-acts thereby causing current to again pass through the hot wire and resistor to close the contacts. The above cycle is repeated through the flasher 80 so long as the flasher is connected with the battery or current source.

When the turn sign lever is turned in a counterclockwise direction, the carrier is shifted by the finger 36 to the position shown in Fig. 3 to indicate a left turn. When in this position current will flow from battery 70, through flasher 0, lead 73, terminal 27, contact 62, terminal 28 to a left front signal lamp 76 and also from terminal 25 to a left rear stop lamp 71. Further description of these circuits is deemed unnecessary inasmuch as the circuit, per se, does not constitute a part of the invention and the circuits are properly described and illustrated herein for the sake of clarity.

Referrin' to Figs. 5 and 9 it will be noted that contacts 51 and 53 are U-shape in formation and each is capable of positively bridging a pair of terminals in the first row in the neutral position of the switch. Since the bridging members 51 and 53 have only two contact portions 54 they make a two point contact with terminals 23, 24 and 25, thus contact 24 is engaged at all times. Since there are two separate bridging members 51 and 53 each make a positive two point engagement in all positions thereof. For example, when the bridging members 51 and 53 are in the position shown in Fig. 2, one bridging member bridges terminals 24 and 25 while the other engages con tact 25 and a strip of insulation 22. The strip 22 has suitable holes to receive the headed portion of the stationary terminals 23 through 28. The inner face of the strip is flush with the contact surfaces of these terminals as clearly shown in Figs. 9, l0 and 11 so that the contact portions of the respective bridging member easily slide over the contact surfaces of the stationary contacts.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A switch comprising an open sided housing; a cover supported by the housing; a plurality of rows of three spaced terminals supported by the housing; a movable carrier supported within the housing and movable from a medial position to positions on opposite sides of the medial position; a bridging member carried on opposite sides of the carrier, each formed to provide contact portions respectively, adapted to engage a terminal of one row and a pair of terminals in another row, said end bridging members being spaced so that in one side position of the carrier one of said end bridging members will engage at least three terminals while the other end bridging member engages at least one terminal and vice versa; a pair of adjacent intermediate bridging members movable with the carrier, each providing a pair of contact portions, said contact portion being arranged so that when the carrier is in the medial position the center terminal of the three terminals in one row will be engaged by both bridging members but when the carrier is in. either side position only the center and one side terminal of said one row will be engaged by the intermediate bridging members.

2. A switch comprising, a U-shaped housing, a yoke and side Walls, said yoke having an opening; a body of insulating material loosely positioned between the side walls and adapted to be moved from a medial position to positions on opposite sides of the medial position, said body having an opening therein; a closure attached to the side walls; a first row and a second row of three contacts supported by the closure; a bridging member carried on opposite sides of the body capable of engaging a stationary contact of one row and a pair of stationary contacts in another row, said bridging members being spaced so that in one side position of the body one end bridging member will engage at least three stationary contacts while the other end bridging member engages at least one stationary member and vice versa; a second pair of adjacent bridging members movable with the body, each provided with a pair of contact portions so that when the body is in the medial position both bridging members will have a contact portion engaging the center terminal of the three contacts of one row but only two stationary contacts of said one row will be bridged by one of the second pair of bridging members when the body is in either side position; and means extending through the opening of the yoke and into the ope ing of the body for moving the body.

References Cited in the fiie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,422,447 Kelsay July 11, 1922 2,246,373 Lodge "a June 17, 1941 2,303,693 Hill Dec. 1, 1942 2,413,135 Baumgardner Dec. 24, 1946 2,441,614 Baumer May l8, 1948 2,528,035 Clayton s Oct. 31, 1950 2,531,377 Lawson et al Nov. 31, 1950 2,564,957 Cermak Aug. 21, 1951 2,604,560 Dibelka July 22, 1952 2,666,101 Ellith'orp'e Jan. 12, 1954 

